


The Work (and Punishment) of Mahal

by Greatwidesomewhere



Series: Shameless [3]
Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Angst, Brooding, Dwarven Ones | Soulmates, Dwarves, Eru - Freeform, Feels, Lack of Communication, Love, M/M, Mahal - Freeform, Maudlin, One-Sided Attraction, Oneshot, Rare Pairings, Stubborn Dwarves, Unrequited Love, angsty dwarves, crafting, love rectangle?, short and angsty, unsaid
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-04
Updated: 2018-12-04
Packaged: 2019-09-06 21:02:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 530
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16840363
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Greatwidesomewhere/pseuds/Greatwidesomewhere
Summary: Mahal crafted his dwarves to endure, to be strong, to craft in return.He had not crafted them to love evenly.Every dwarf was blessed by Mahal with a One. The other half of their souls. It was perfect. Except when it wasn't.





	The Work (and Punishment) of Mahal

Mahal crafted his dwarves to endure, to be strong, to craft in return.

He had not crafted them to love evenly.

Every dwarf was blessed by Mahal with a One. The other half of their souls. It was perfect. Except when it wasn't.

*****

Dwalin sighed as he lowered his war hammers. Dori sat across the campsite, lit up in gorgeous reds and yellows from the campfire. Gorgeous. Stunning. Mithril-strong and mithril-lovely. And pining madly for Dwalin's brother.

Dwalin had known almost the entire time he had known his One that the love burning in his heart was not shared. Mahal had crafted another love for his One. And Dwalin had accepted it. He'd declared himself craft-wed, and devoted himself to guarding Thorin, Dis, Fili, and Kill with all his power.

And every day he awaited the news that Dori and Balin were courting.

The day never came.

*****

Dori was no simpleton. He might not be very educated or experienced but he knew that Balin was his one. The same way he knew he would die before he let anyone harm his brothers.

So, when he saw the lingering looks Balin turned to Ori, Dori began to slowly, quietly bury his heart. After all, what sort of brother steps in the way of his younger brother's One?

He never could bring himself to declare himself craft-wed, but he dismissed every offer of courtship, denied any desire for a family of his own. And continued inviting Balin over, preparing himself for the day his One asked for his brother's hand.

*****

Balin had honestly believed his One had fallen with Erebor, or at Azulubizar, it took so long for him to meet his One.

But once he did, he knew it could be no one else. The fierce and loyal scribe was everything Balin had never known he needed. Never known he should be looking for.

There was an age gap, but Balin would never dare ask until Ori was at least 100. And then, well, Dori might kill him for daring to ask for his baby brother's hand, but it would be a worthy cause to die for. Like Erebor. Like Moria.

Ori was worth everything.

*****

Ori as very flustered. Flirting is incredibly hard to extrapolate from classic poetry.

But how else was he supposed to approach his One? Dwalin was everything. EVERYTHING.

Strong, tall, muscled, tattooed, just.... guh. And the beard.

Also, his bald head was confusingly attractive and Ori wasn't sure how to handle that.

He was sure Dwalin was his One, and believed Dwalin was afraid to come forward because of his past arresting Nori.

But Ori couldn't just tell him he didn't mind. That knowing Nori was in Dwalin's prison barracks was better than not knowing anything at all.

That Nori brought it on himself.

That Ori still wanted Dwalin wrapped around him like tangled yarn.

But he couldn't just say that. It was unthinkable.

*****

Mahal watched over his children and mourned at the tangled heart stings which burned between mismatched pairs.

Eru had allowed his work to continue, despite its imperfections. Mahal's punishment was to match it play out. Mahal's punishment as for his creations to live.


End file.
